


Lines of the Blue Dragon

by Mweebles



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-25 05:36:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1634339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mweebles/pseuds/Mweebles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She stared at the blue dragon that now permanently adorned the palm of her right hand. Apparently, it was supposed to match her new master's tattoo...After escaping her fate, she is asked to become a Phantomhive servant. How will her abilities help the Earl?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Skinwalker

Chapter One: The Skinwalker

"This one will be sent to the head of Kon Ron as a gift of gratitude for his generous business donations."

The words echoed in her head as she stared at the blue dragon that now permanently adorned the palm of her right hand. The tail curled right underneath the start of her fingers and the body curved up the rest of her palm. The head ended right at her thumb. Apparently it was supposed to match her new master's tattoo. The ship would dock in the next couple of days and she would lose any semblance of freedom she had. The two Chinese men that were tasked with transporting her approached. She narrowed her light green eyes at them.

"I heard skinwalkers can steal your soul just by looking at you. Blindfold her."

She was blindfolded for the whole voyage. The pungent smell of opium smoke constantly wafted over her and she would often feel a hand on her thigh or lips on her skin. The two men differed in their treatment of her. The man that smelled like talcum powder would run his hands over her softly like a feather. He would laugh if she let her tears flow and soak through her blindfold like she had just told a joke. The man that suspected her of being a skinwalker would touch her roughly. When she tried to pull away or fight back, she was struck repeatedly with something long and wooden.

When the ship docked, she felt hands inspecting the places that felt bruised to her.

"You should have been more careful. The Kon Ron leader pampers his girls," said the talcum powder man. She was lifted bridal style and carried.

"Well, he can do that after he's got her. This wench was too much trouble to deal with getting her here." She felt herself being lifted onto a seat. Movement a moment later revealed that she was on a carriage. The trotting motion jostled her a little and the blindfold rode up her face a bit. She tilted her head back a little and found she could see the faces of the men, who were seated across from her in the carriage.

"What the hell kind of gift is this, anyway?"

"Maybe Shuang wants her to kill the Kon Ron leader so he can take over the company."

"She doesn't look dangerous, though."

"Yes, but you shouldn't let your guard down. I've heard the legends about skinwalkers."

"There is no such thing. Just make sure this cargo gets to its destination."

The carriage stopped in front of an alley where there was nothing significant except for a staircase leading down into some sort of basement or cellar. The carriage door opened, and neither man made a motion to touch her or exit the carriage. She concentrated and shifted to cat form. The binds and blindfold loosened and she shot out out her restraints and out the carriage to the chagrin of both men. She ran past the staircase and caught a glimpse of the sleeve of a chinese jacket and a slender hand holding an opium pipe. Someone was ascending the stairs.

She scaled the brick wall with the help of her claws and was gone.

~*~

The tortoiseshell cat wove her way through the dark streets of London. She was on high alert for anything out of the ordinary. These were the peak hours for when the underground of London came to life. Reapers, demons, angels, and other supernaturals came out to frolic and show their true nature. Even the cat herself was not as she seemed.

Her name was Aurelia Till, or Tillie as the grim reaper Grell Sutcliffe called her. Furthermore, she was not a real cat. She was what you may call a shapeshifter, or skinwalker. Shapeshifters took on many forms and were often able to deceive others to their advantage. They were not completely human, nor were they immortal. Many lived their lives as familiars or guardians to other supernatural beings or humans.

Tillie would watch all the goings-on of the night from the shadows and intervene when necessary, like if there was a mugging or other preventable crime. At times she would play the part of pitiful little stray and beg random passersby for kitty morsels. Other times she would tail a grim reaper and watch the cinematic records of the deceased. The easiest reaper to follow by far was Grell. Grell wasn't stuffy like the others. His long red hair and chainsaw made him unique. She had met him after she tried to interfere with one of his reapings by attacking him in panther form. After his initial panic at a sudden panther attack, he convinced her to return to human form to introduce herself and explain her abilities. After that, he didn't mind her as an audience, especially if she was in cat form.

"Well, little Tillie, should they live or die?" Grell would cackle, revving his chainsaw when reaping time came.

"Meow!" Tillie would reply, and Grell would interpret whatever answer he wanted it to be.

One night, everything changed. Tillie was sitting on a wall beside Grell as they watched the last frames of a cinematic record. A shadow loomed over them and Grell looked up curiously. His eyes suddenly became lovestruck.

"Oh, Bassy! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Oh...the colors are perfect..." Tillie suddenly felt long fingers stroking her fur. "Oooh, so soft." She felt herself being picked up and looked over to see a tall man dressed in a tailcoat with red eyes. A demon!

She mewed apprehensively, looking to Grell for help. Grell just raged in jealousy as the demon nuzzled his head into Tillie's tummy.

"Underbelly so soft and supple!" The demon moaned. Tillie placed her paws on the strange demon's head and pushed. Her tail whacked against his chest in warning. "Darling, don't be frightened. I'm simply admiring your perfection."

"Bassy! Why must you betray me so?! Tillie! I shall write your name on the to-die list!" Grell yelled dramatically. He revved his chainsaw and advanced on the pair. The demon brought his fist down onto Grell's head, effectively knocking him out.

"Tillie?" The demon asked. The cat wriggled out of his grasp and landed lightly on the ground in front of him. In the span of a few seconds, the tortoiseshell cat became a teenaged girl with tawny hair and light green eyes that glowed in the darkness like a cat's. "Ah. Interesting."

"My name is Aurelia Till, or Tillie. I'm a shapeshifter."

"How convenient. Are you currently in the employ of anyone?" The demon's eyes regarded her with interest.

"Er...no. I'm on my own." Tillie eyed him warily. Grell came to at that moment, groaning and rubbing the massive bump that had formed on his head.

"My name is Sebastian Michaelis. I am butler to Earl Ciel Phantomhive. I would like to offer you a job as a servant to the Phantomhive estate. We are currently in residence at the London manor through winter, so you would have ample time to make arrangements to leave with us to the main estate. What do you say?"

"Oh...um. Why me? You've only just met me and don't know anything about me," said Tillie. Grell stood and draped an arm around her shoulders.

"She's right, Bassy! Why don't you hire me instead?" said Grell. "Wouldn't I look adorable in a maid's uniform?" He batted his eyelashes.

"No," said Sebastian flatly to Grell. He turned to regard Tillie. "I know a lot more about you than you are aware. I now that you're from America, an orphan, and you have no problem defending yourself by your own means. I do admit it took me by surprise to find out that you are also the cat, but that's only an added bonus to acquiring you as servant." He smirked.

"Bassy, when it comes to cats, you rather worry me," said Grell. Sebastian's smirk only widened.

"It's a no if you're into bestiality," said Tillie. "I will not subject my animal forms to the vile acts of lust-driven demons." Sebastian threw back his head and laughed. Grell and Tillie gazed upon him in awe, their faces pink. Sebastian laughing was a beautiful sight.

"Rest assured, the job only entails non-sexual servant related duties and defending the Phantomhive master and estate," said Sebastian, eyeing Tillie with mirth. "I just simply love cats."

"Oh, Bassy!" swooned Grell, hanging on Sebastian's arm.

"I don't really have any domestic experience besides kitchen duties," said Tillie, looking thoughtful. "Would I be the only servant there?"

"There are four other servants. Inept as they are," said Sebastian. "I think you would do well as a scullery maid. Bardroy is too hasty when it comes to food preparation so much that the quality of the food takes a severe plunge. That way he can focus more on the proper cooking process than setting the kitchen aflame." The corner of Tillie's mouth lifted in an amused smile.

"I shall keep spare buckets of water on hand at all times," she said.

"So you accept?" She shrugged and nodded as if to say 'What else do I have going on? Sure.' "Excellent. You may come back to the London manor with me tonight. Are there any belongings you need to gather?"

"I only just own the clothes on my back," said Tillie. Sebastian's eyes roamed critically over her wardrobe. She wore a heavily worn and tattered black riding dress. The bottom hem had been ripped off at calf length and it would have been highly indecent had it not been for the knee length black boots she wore. She also wore black fingerless gloves.

"You'll be provided with a maid uniform once we reach the manor. Come now," said Sebastian, shrugging off Grell.

~*~

"What...is the meaning...of this?" spat Sebastian, his red eyes glowing with fury as he stood surveying the damage to the floor of the front hall. Tillie stood with her back flat against the closed front door, scared of the angry wrath of Sebastian even though his attention was far from her at the moment.

Three people stood cowering in front of Sebastian. One was a redheaded maid with large spectacles trying unsuccessfully to hide a shovel behind her back. Next to her, a larger blonde man wearing a cook's jacket was trembling right down to the cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The last was a scrawny lad about Tillie's age with strawberry blonde hair held back by red pins. For some reason he was dressed as a cat. One of his 'paws' was snapped by a mouse trap and he was bawling openly. A pile of white rubble was scattered all over the floor.

"Mey-Rin, put the shovel down and go fetch a spare uniform for our new employee. Bard, fetch a cot and place it in the ladies' servant's quarters. Finnian. Change out of that ridiculous costume. You're not a cat."

"I disagree," said Tillie. "He'd make a nice cat." She walked over to Finnian and helped free his hand from the trap. He dipped his head shyly to hide his tears from her, massaging his hand as he left the room to change.

"You may find a different opinion by the end of the week," said Sebastian quietly. "This showcases the ineptitude of these three. Perhaps you can show your worth by catching the ever elusive rodents while I clean this mess up."

"Alright, then," she said. She shifted into the cat. Sebastian smirked at her. She gave him a disgusted look and bounded down the hallway. Her ears picked up the sounds of small rodents scurrying in the flooring and walls. There! A mouse! She ran at it and pounced. It squeaked and dodged her attack, scurrying under a door. Rats! Er, mice! She heard voices behind the door. She yowled and scratched at the door for a moment, but no one answered the door.

Tillie stood on her hind legs and grasped the doorknob with the pads of her paws, turning it and pushing the door open. All conversation in the room ceased.

"Oh my. See that, Ran-Mao?" a soft male voice said. Tillie plopped back onto her front legs and gazed into the room. An ornately dressed Chinese couple was seated together on a settee rather intimately. The girl was draped across the man's lap, her dress hiked up to her thigh as he petted her hip like a cat. The girl gazed at her with wide golden eyes. The man seemed to have his eyes closed.

"Mrrrrip?!" Tillie squeaked in surprise. She seemed to have interrupted something.

A trace of sweet, pungent aroma wafted through the air. A touch of nausea came over her as she had a flashback of a smoky room, dizziness, being touched by idling hands...

"It went into that corner," another voice said, snapping her back into reality. She realized she had been staring rather intently at the couple, and the man had opened his eyes to gaze at her.

Her ear twitched, and she peered around the door to meet the gaze of none other than the Earl of Phantomhive, who was pointing at said corner behind the settee the couple had occupied. Without hesitation, she dove under the settee into the corner and made quick work of capturing the mouse. As she crawled back under the settee to leave the room, The girl with the golden eyes reached down and lightly brushed a hand over the fur of her back and tail. She had propped herself up on her elbows and stared intently at the cat. Tillie gazed back at her, mouse in her jaws, before turning back around and darting out the door.

"Well, it looks like Ran-Mao wants to make friends."


	2. Nekomimi Hair

Chapter Two: Nekomimi Hair

She ended up catching four mice in half an hour. Sebastian checked the bucket in the hall that she had placed the dead mice in and deemed it a sufficient amount, dismissing her to go change. Tillie went to the kitchen after changing into her uniform to see the three troublemakers from earlier seated around the table.

"Hello. I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Tillie. I'm the new scullery maid." She offered them a small smile.

"Excellent!" The blonde man rejoiced, pumping a fist into the air. "I'm Bard, the cook. Hopefully Sebastian will stop invading the kitchen as much now." The sight of the flamethrower sitting on the table beside him made Tillie's smile wane ever so slightly.

"I'm Mey-Rin!" said the redhead. She pushed her glasses up her face and focused on Tillie's face. "I love your eye color. Makes you look like a kitty cat, it does!" Tillie sat there stunned for a moment and then let out a chuckle.

"I'm Finny the gardener," said the strawberry blonde boy. "Thanks for getting that mousetrap off. It really hurt." He gave her a small smile, his turquoise eyes shimmering with the beginnings of admiration.

"It's nice to meet you all. So, what are you up to?" Tillie sat next to Finny at the table.

"Having tea and Demon Hound Bean Cakes! Try some!" offered Finny, thrusting forth the plate with the bean cakes a little too enthusiastically, causing the cakes to fly off of the plate and into Tillie's face. "Oh no! I'm sorry!" Bard and Mey-Rin facepalmed.

"It's alright, Finny," said Tillie, picking up the bean cakes from her lap and putting them back on the plate. "As long as they weren't ruined."

"Unfortunately. We bought a lot of boxes from Houndsworth thinking they'd be good," said Bard. "None of us really care for those except for Finny. And Pluto back at the mansion. But he's a demon hound, so I guess he'd like his namesake…"

"Wait…" said Tillie, pausing just before taking a bite of bean cake. She stared wide-eyed at Bard. "There's a demon hound at the mansion?"

"Well, yeah," said Finny, stuffing another bean cake in his mouth. "Buh heesh rewwy nahdahd bad onsh-"

"Finny! Close your mouth!" scolded Mey-Rin.

"Oopsh. Shawwy." Tillie smiled in amusement at Finny.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I don't seem to get along with dogs at all. You could say it's my nature," said Tillie. She wished she could use her tail to swish around with sass.

"Hmm...that's what Sebastian used to say…" said Bard. Tillie shrugged. She took a bite of bean cake and froze. Her nose scrunched in disgust.

"Are you okay, Tillie?" asked Mey-Rin. Tillie shook her head vigorously, her eyes bulging a bit. "Spit it out, then!" Mey-Rin tossed a napkin at her. She caught it and spat hastily into it.

"Tea, please," she said desperately, tucking the napkin into her lap. Finny passed her the teapot and a teacup, trying very hard not to laugh at her reaction to the bean cake. Bard and Mey-Rin, however, looked at her with sympathy as she drained her teacup unceremoniously. She pushed the plate towards Finny. "They're all yours." Finny grinned cheerfully and dug in.

"I've always said Finny's got taste buds of steel," said Bard.

"Well, he has to with your cooking, doesn't he?" said Mey-Rin, hiding a smirk behind her teacup. Bard shrugged a shoulder and then did a double-take at Mey-Rin to glare at her once he processed her words.

"Ah, there you are, Tillie," said Sebastian, appearing in the kitchen doorway. Bard, Mey-Rin, and Finny jumped and nearly bolted as a knee-jerk reaction. "Ready to meet Young Master and company?"

"S-sure," said Tillie, standing up and brushing off the front of her dress. She waved to the others before departing the kitchen behind Sebastian. "Just to let you know, I might have barged in as a cat earlier while on my mouse hunt."

"Ms. Ran-Mao was quite taken. She asked the Master what his cat's name was. He said he hadn't named it yet, so she's taken it upon herself to come up with the name. I do believe it's the most we've heard Ms. Ran-Mao say in one sitting." Sebastian threw her an amused smirk.

"Ah…" Tillie wasn't quite sure what to think. Sebastian led her to the drawing room and opened the door.

"My Lord, here is your new scullery maid, Aurelia Till." He stepped aside to allow her to step forward.

Ciel Phantomhive was seated at the armchair in front of the fireplace. He wore a navy blue suit with black boots. His blue eye stared at her solemnly. Tillie hesitated for a moment after stepping forward. She had no idea how to greet nobility! She settled for a sad excuse of a curtsy that made her look like a flapping chicken as she had no clue what to do with her arms. The Chinese gentleman turned his laugh into a cough and hid his face in his sleeves. Sebastian, who had slid into place beside the armchair, suddenly found the ceiling very amusing.

"Good evening, Aurelia. I hope you find your accommodations well," said Ciel. The corner of his mouth may have twitched up for a moment after witnessing her clumsy curtsy.

"Yes indeed, my Lord, but please, you may call me Tillie." She stared at the floor with an intensity that could have bore a hole through it. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment.

"Very well, Tillie," said Ciel. "So, you're American." It wasn't a question, but an observation.

"Yes, my Lord."

"What brought you to England?" Her eyes lifted from the floor and met Ciel's gaze.

"It's not a story for polite conversation, sir," said Tillie, shifting from one foot to another.

"We rarely make polite conversation here, dear," said the Chinese man. Tillie looked at him guardedly. His eyes were open, observing her with a coy smile. Her eyes widened. "No need to look so frightened. I'm Lau and this is Ran-Mao. What does a scullery maid do, exactly?" Ran-Mao looked her straight in the eyes, her expression almost bored. Tillie broke eye contact.

"Enough," said Ciel impatiently, vaguely flapping a hand at Lau. "You've piqued my curiosity. Tell me."

"Well, I was kidnapped...smuggled here. I was intended to be a gift to someone, but managed to escape." She clenched her right fist, holding it behind her back. She suddenly felt every eye in the room on her. Sebastian had followed her hand movement very closely. She could feel his red gaze on where her hand was.

"What?" said the earl in disbelief. "How? Do you know who kidnapped you?" His manner went from relaxed to alert in a manner of seconds.

"The men that took me were working for a man named Shuang," said Tillie. "They were part of a company that transported items to Sierra Nevada." Lau sat back, stroking Ran-Mao's shoulder thoughtfully.

"Hmm...Two of Shuang's men were discovered mauled in an alley by the docks about a month or two ago," said Lau. "Ran-Mao and I were called to identify them. The teeth and claw marks left on them were horrendous. They said it could have only been done by a big cat." Tillie struggled to keep her face calm.

"Ah, yes. Illegal animal trading was suspected but we were never able to find any leads. Isn't Shuang one of your colleagues?" asked Ciel.

"Shuang is very influential in New England," said Lau. "I've worked with him to trade and sell my wares in the Americas."

"You don't mean…?" asked Ciel, looking apprehensive. Lau sighed.

"Give me some credit, young Earl," he said. "I only trade goods and sell people's dreams."

Tillie chanced another look at Lau, her brow furrowed. A smile crept onto his lips as she looked. He leaned forward to retrieve his teacup. Ran-Mao had shifted from his lap to allow him movement. To Tillie's surprise he stood up, looking directly at her.

"I've just realized that I've forgotten my manners, Miss Tillie. Would you like to sit down?" Lau gestured to the spot on the settee he had just vacated. Tillie gawked at him, partly because she hadn't expected him to be so much taller than her, and partly for his offer. A noble giving up his seat for a servant didn't happen every day.

"I'm fine, sir. Thank you, but you're the guest. I couldn't take your seat," said Tillie, bowing her head slightly.

"I'd feel terrible if you were to stay standing throughout our discussion," said Lau, putting a pout on.

"It's very thoughtful, sir, but-"

"Tillie, you may sit," said Ciel impatiently. "Please."

"Yes, sir." She timidly walked over to the settee, her right palm flat against her skirts as she perched on the leftmost settee cushion. To her dismay, Lau seated himself beside her. Ran-Mao perched herself upon his knee, her body turned towards Tillie. The men watched as she gathered a strand of Tillie's tawny-colored hair into her hands and started braiding it.

"Ran-Mao, you're being really friendly today," observed Lau.

"What-" Ciel started to question why they insisted on goofing off, but then he caught sight of how fast Ran-Mao's hands moved about Tillie's hair, making more small braids. He blinked a few times and then sighed quietly in defeat, giving in to watching Ran-Mao's hair styling while he sipped his tea.

Tillie gave her master and Sebastian a pitiful, pleading look as if begging them to save her. Neither male had ever seen Ran-Mao engaged so actively and they weren't about to miss the spectacle just to save their maid from mild discomfort.

Ran-Mao twisted the small braids into a spiral, forming a cat ear bun. She seemed to procure pins out of thin air and fastened the bun in place. She examined her work and then stood and crossed to perch on the left arm of the settee so that she could braid the other side of Tillie's head. Ran-Mao turned Tillie's head to the right for a better position and then resumed her braiding.

Lau leaned forward to retrieve his teacup once more, his shoulder brushing Tillie's, and she felt her face heat up. She clamped her right palm hard over her knee as she watched him out the corner of her eye. If this man was a colleague of Shuang's then there might be a chance that he'd recognize the symbol etched on her hand if he ever saw it. She was very afraid of what would happen if he did. She tried not to let her mind wander to the events that led to the blue dragon tattoo. Before she knew it, Ran-Mao was twisting the braids together for the other bun and pinning them up. She then placed her hands on either side of Tillie's face and looked at her straight on, examining the cat ear buns to make sure they were even. She stepped away and resumed her seat on Lau's knee when she was satisfied with her work.

"Ning-Ning," she said quietly. Tillie blinked. Ran-Mao's voice was not as she imagined it to sound like. She almost expected her to have a high-pitched voice, but instead she held a pleasant alto tone.

"I'm sorry?" asked Tillie timidly.

"You look like Ning-Ning." Ran-Mao's golden eyes shimmered for a moment. Tillie furrowed her brow in confusion.

"I think that's what she's decided to name Lord Phantomhive's cat," said Lau, smiling in amusement. Tillie's jaw dropped. What kind of name was Ning-Ning for a cat?!

"You've had your fun," said Ciel, looking moody. "Back to business. Who is Shuang?"

"He's based in New England and New York. We have a mutual contact through the opium trade and he proved to be a beneficial overseas business partner. We've done business for over two years, although I've never heard of him transporting women," said Lau.

"Have you contacted him recently?" asked Ciel

"I got a letter from him last month asking if I enjoyed my gift. So I guess I should expect a gift in the mail. I'm rather excited," said Lau, clapping his hands.

Tillie realized she had started shivering. The nerve of this man! Does he have no clue after their whole discussion what that gift might be?! Is he just clueless or sick minded? She clenched the fabric of her skirt in her fist. Warm fingers touched her arm lightly. She jerked her arm away. Ran-Mao looked hurt for a split second and withdrew her hand.

"I'm sorry. I need some air." Tillie stood and left the room abruptly. She went to the empty, darkened kitchen and began to search the cupboards for a cup to get a drink of water.

"Mind explaining what happened back there? It was extremely rude to walk out unexcused like that." She spun around to face Sebastian. He looked rather sinister standing in the darkened doorway. "Also, I would very much like to know what it is you have hidden in your hand."

"First I'd like to know what Master's allegiance to Lau is." Tillie clenched her right fist as she caught sight of Sebastian staring at it.

"Master has no interest in his business aspects. Lau is simply a source of information about underground London. He is also rather good at blackmail, extortion, and petty gambling." Sebastian smirked when Tillie raised an eyebrow at the last part.

"And what about the trade of flesh?" asked Tillie, balling both of her hands into fists.

"Not to my knowledge," said Sebastian. He met her gaze and blinked. "Step into the light, Tillie. You look like a cat standing in the dark and it's distracting me." Tillie rolled her eyes, gingerly poked at one of her cat ear buns and stepped out into the hallway with Sebastian. "Now. Your hand?"

"Shuang was intent to send me against my will half a world away as a gift to someone. He marked me for him." Tillie showed Sebastian her palm. His eyebrows rose.

"If I may." He walked over and grabbed her wrist to look at the tattoo closely. "This is a rather high quality artistry. And they did this to you unwillingly?" He lightly traced the pattern with his gloved finger.

"They drugged me while they did it. Heavily." Tears escaped her eyes as bad memories surfaced. "I suffered a bit of withdrawal and I still have insomnia." She swiped at her tears angrily.

"Is there anything else you would like to tell me?" asked Sebastian, letting go of her wrist. "Perhaps something involving a big cat?"

"Yes. I killed those two despicable men with my panther form," said Tillie, meeting his gaze. "And I enjoyed it." Her eyes flashed with sick pleasure. A wide smirk spread across Sebastian's face and he leaned in to her ear.

"You mustn't say things like that to me in that way," he whispered, running a finger over a cat ear bun. "It's like pillow talk." Tillie took a step back, looking at Sebastian in disgust.

"Demons," she spat. He chuckled. The hall clock struck the hour and Sebastian sobered his demeanor.

"Lau and Ran-Mao are set to leave any moment. Come aid me in walking them to the door. You also owe them an apology." Sebastian started walking back to the drawing room. Tillie glared after him before following. Lau, Ran-Mao and Ciel were just exchanging goodbyes when they walked in. Sebastian looked at Tillie expectantly.

"I am sincerely sorry for my behavior earlier," said Tillie, bowing respectfully to them. "I hope I didn't offend you. Please forgive me."

"Bad behavior? I didn't notice any bad behavior," said Lau, looking puzzled. Ciel looked at him and sighed.

"It's alright, Tillie. Just don't make a habit of it," he said.

"We shall escort you to the door," said Sebastian, elegantly leading the pair out of the drawing room and into the hall.

"Where's Ning-Ning?" asked Ran-Mao.

"I'm afraid she's retired for the night with the servants," said Sebastian, an amused look on his face. Ran-Mao sighed and settled for petting Tillie's cat buns.

"Oh, Ran-Mao, you're silly," chuckled Lau lightly. They reached the door and Lau turned to Tillie. "I daresay it was very nice meeting you, Miss Tillie. Goodnight!" He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek before following Ran-Mao out the door and into their awaiting carriage. Tillie stared until Sebastian shut the door.

"You're blushing," he said, an evil smile adorning his lips. "Could it be that you like being petted?"

Tillie huffed and turned on her heel. "Hmm...I'll take that as a yes."


	3. Confession

Chapter Three: Confession

 

A sharp knock on the door roused Tillie from her slumber.

"Prrr?" she murmured sleepily. Mey-Rin sat up and giggled at the sound from her cot.

"Time to wake up," came Sebastian's voice from the other side of the door. "We have guests for early breakfast. They are having tea on the terrace and Ning-Ning's presence is requested."

"Who's Ning-Ning?" asked Mey-Rin, stretching.

"Perhaps Tillie can fill you in. I must see to assisting our young master." Footsteps faded down the hallway as Tillie yawned and sat up on her cot.

"Oy, Tillie. Who's Ning-Ning?" repeated Mey-Rin.

"You're going to think I'm a freak, but if Sebastian thinks it alright for you to know, then I'll tell you," sighed Tillie. She fixed Mey-Rin with a firm stare. "But it's a secret."

"I won't tell, I promise!" said Mey-Rin, literally bursting with curiosity. "Ooh, I love secrets!"

"I can show you better than I can tell you. Ready?"

"Yes! Show me, please!" begged Mey-Rin, bouncing in anticipation. Before she knew it, Tillie had shifted into the little tortoiseshell cat. Mey-Rin let out a scream of surprise and fell off the edge of her cot and landed on her bottom.

"Mey-Rin? Are you alright?" came Finny's voice from down the hall. Tillie peered down at her in concern.

"Finny! Get in here!" yelled Mey-Rin, stomping her feet excitedly. Finny opened the door and fixed Mey-Rin and the cat with a curious stare.

"Where'd the cat come from?" asked Finny.

"It's Tillie!" said Mey-Rin excitedly. She stood and began petting Tillie. "I knew you reminded me of a kitty cat!"

"Mey-Rin, it's just a cat," said Finny, fixing Mey-Rin with a worried look. Tillie looked at him, thumping her tail. After a moment, she shifted to her regular form, making Mey-Rin jump back. Finny yelped and hid behind Mey-Rin. "Tillie? You mean you really are a cat?"

"Well, I'm human, but I can change into one. It's a long story, but it's in my heritage," said Tillie cryptically.

"Wait...But what's up with the Ning-Ning business?" asked Mey-Rin.

"Sebastian had me catching mice yesterday as a cat. Ms. Ran-Mao thinks the cat is Master's pet and she named it Ning-Ning," said Tillie. Mey-Rin and Finny burst into giggles. "Laugh all you want. I have to go be a cat for our guests." She shifted back into cat form.

"Ooh! Can I carry you? Please?" asked Finny. He stuck out his bottom lip, his turquoise eyes big and pleading. Tillie stared for a moment and then slowly nodded her head. Finny picked her up gingerly.

"Don't squash her, Finny. Mind your strength!" said Mey-Rin as Finny ran out of the room and skipped down the stairs.

"Mrr?!" Tillie braced her paws against Finny's chest. Finny hummed happily and stroked her head a little too harshly. She growled at him.

"Oops. Sorry!" He gingerly scratched her under her chin. She closed her eyes, purring. She was calm and content enough for Finny to carry her the rest of the way to the terrace without incident.

Sebastian stood just behind Ciel's chair at the head of the table. Ciel had a full breakfast spread out in front of him. Lau sat at the right side of the table, a teacup and scone in front of him. Ran-Mao sat beside him, leaning on the table with her elbows, staring at Ciel as he ate. Her golden eyes fell upon the gardener as he approached.

"Ning-Ning." Ran-Mao stood and walked to Finny, who held Tillie out to her, blushing. Ran-Mao took Tillie from him, smacking her lips cutely at the cat. Finny's blush deepened and he excused himself to go tend to the garden.

Tillie figured she should try acting like a real cat and rubbed her head against Ran-Mao's arm. Ran-Mao returned to her seat, setting Tillie on her lap and running her fingers over the jumble of colors in her fur.

"You know, Ran-Mao was never too fond of cats. I wonder what's so special about this little one," said Lau. He reached over towards Tillie and the hackles on her back raised up as she eyed him warily. With her cat senses she could smell the opium on him almost tenfold. Her tail thumped in warning for him to stay away. Lau was unaware of the warning signal and stroked her head. She hissed and batted his hand away, backing up further into Ran-Mao's lap. Lau withdrew his hand quickly, his eyes widening at her. Ciel froze, his fork halfway to his mouth as he surveyed the scene silently. She hissed again for good measure. After a beat Lau broke into laughter.

"She really doesn't like me, huh? What a shame. She's a good little fighter, though." He reached for her again and she nipped his hand. Lau winced. Ran-Mao tutted, running a hand over Tillie's raised hackles and scratching between her ears.

"If you're done tormenting the cat, I'd like to continue our discussion," said Ciel, putting down his fork.

"Of course, dear earl," said Lau. He took a sip of tea. "What were we talking about again?"

"Don't tell me you've been talking for show all this time, Lau!" said Ciel, glaring.

"I thought I sounded rather impressive," said Lau, grinning. "Wouldn't you think so, Ran-Mao?" Ran-Mao was now cradling Tillie like a baby and tickling her tummy. It took Tillie great effort to not use her right paw in playing swatting games, as the tattoo showed on the pad of her paw in cat form.

"Oh, for goodness sake," muttered Ciel, massaging his temples. "Human trafficking is going to run rampant in London with your cluelessness."

"On the contrary, my young lord," said Lau. "I know all the opium dens in the city. After all, how would I stay in business if I didn't? None of them engage in human trafficking. It's troublesome to try to deal with someone trying to escape all the time."

"I'm still uneasy in just taking your word for it, Lau," said Ciel.

"If you're so uncertain, then why not call out your new maid, Miss Tillie? I seem to recall that we all got distracted last night over Ran-Mao's hair show that she never got to tell her whole story," said Lau. "The rest of the time was spent discussing Shuang. Perhaps she could help shed more light on this matter." He took a sip of tea. "By the way, what does a scullery maid do, anyway?"

"You do have a point," admitted Ciel. He glanced at Tillie, who was being petted by Ran-Mao. He turned to the butler. "Sebastian, have Tillie meet us in the drawing room after breakfast. And bring the card table. I would like to play."

"Yes, my Lord," said Sebastian. He passed Ran-Mao's chair on his way inside and gave Tillie a pointed look and darted his eyes toward the house. Tillie stared up at him in confusion. How was she supposed to get away from Ran-Mao without seeming suspicious?

A playful chirping sound caught her ear. A pair of wrens were playing and fluttering on the lawn. Her ears twitched. She rolled to her feet and crouched, making a show of wiggling her rump in anticipation of a hunt.

"You should try wiggling your bum before your kills, too," murmured Lau to Ran-Mao in jest.

"No." Ran-Mao didn't sound very amused at all.

Tillie launched from Ran-Mao's lap and charged towards the birds. At the last moment, Finny dove in front of her out of nowhere.

"Don't hurt them!" He yelled. Tillie tumbled and he caught her. She sat upon his chest, staring down at him incredulously. "Those are my friends, Tillie!" Her eyes widened at his use of her name. She growled and swiped across his cheek with her claws, leaving four red marks. His turquoise eyes filled with tears immediately. She narrowed her eyes and leapt over his head before running into the house. The sound of Finny's cries followed her.

~*~

"Mornin'. Care for some breakfast, Tillie?" greeted Bard as she entered the kitchen after shifting and changing clothes. Mey-Rin and Finny were already seated. Finny lowered his eyes as she walked in. There was a bandage over the cuts on his face.

"Yes, please. I'm starved," she said.

"Great. It'll be done in a minute," said Bard. He flipped the metal spatula in his hand and went back to cooking.

"Finny?" Tillie voiced softly. She slid onto the bench next to him and he turned his head away. "Finny, I really I shouldn't have scratched you and I'm sorry-"

"You were going to kill those birds. You didn't have to scratch me up, though." Finny sniffled. Mey-Rin and Bard looked between the two anxiously.

"I know. I really am sorry," said Tillie, her gaze lowering to the table. "The reason I scratched you was because you called me Tillie while I was in my cat form. I'm scared that Mr. Lau and Miss Ran-Mao might've heard. I really don't want them knowing my secret."

"Why not?" asked Finny, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"Well...I believe Lau has a connection with the people that smuggled me from America. I don't think I trust him," said Tillie.

"Smuggled?" said Bard. He passed out plates. "Geez."

"How awful!" said Mey-Rin.

"I don't think they heard. Mr. Lau was too busy laughing that I got beat up by a cat," said Finny, pouting.

"Uh...what? Beat up by a cat? That's why you're all bandaged up?" asked Bard. He started to chuckle.

"Oh. I forgot you weren't there to see it this morning, Bard," said Mey-Rin. "Show him, Tillie!"

"Mrmph," voiced Tillie rather unladylike as she bit into a potato cake. She narrowed her eyes at the unexpected crispiness of it. Bard seemed to have fried it too much.

"Show me what? That she has bad table manners?" Bard joked.

"You're one to talk," said Mey-Rin. "How can you eat with a cigarette in your mouth?"

"It's not lit."

"One of these days you're going to accidentally eat it up, so don't be mad if we laugh," said Tillie, before taking a bite of tomato. Bard huffed and reluctantly set the cigarette down beside his plate. Tillie looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Hey. Bard." He looked up at her and she shifted to cat form right in front of him.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!" Bard fell backwards off of the bench he shared with Mey-Rin. Mey-Rin instantly broke into a loud cackle. Tillie shifted back only to let out an extremely loud snort of laughter, which then propelled the others to break into a fit of hysterics.

"Excuse me." Everyone fought their laughter to look towards the doorway where Sebastian stood looking less than amused. "The Master and his guests are being disrupted by your excessive noise. I will not ask you to be again. Is that clear?"

"Yes Sebastian!" Everyone replied, some struggling harder than others to stifle their laughter.

"Honestly," chided Sebastian, raising an eyebrow at Bard sprawled on the floor. "Remember to meet Master and Mr. Lau in the drawing room after you are finished with your duties, Tillie." He left shortly after.

~*~

"What took you so long?" grumbled Ciel when Tillie finally appeared in the drawing room. Ciel and Lau were playing a game of Old Maid on the card table. Ran-Mao was absent.

"I apologize, sir. I had breakfast and got acquainted to the scullery," said Tillie, bowing her head and clasping her hands in front of her.

"There goes that word again," said Lau, looking frustrated. "'Scullery.' What's a scullery and why do you need a maid for it?"

"We need to know all the details that you can tell us of your kidnapping," said Ciel, ignoring Lau's question. Tillie gaped at Ciel for a moment until she remembered to respond.

"Yes, sir," she said. "What more would you like to know?"

"Start from the beginning," said Ciel, laying down a pair of cards facedown.

"Alright," said Tillie. She tried not to shift too much as she stood there for a moment to gather her words. "I lived in El Dorado, California. I was orphaned when I was 11, so I had no family. I was very much an outcast for a heritage that I knew next to nothing about. The only caregiver I had was a Navajo woman working as maid at an inn until she died about four years after. I was on my own after that, but was allowed to stay at the inn as her replacement. The town became a hub for stagecoach and freight travel. Overseas businessmen came through looking to secure their part in the gold rush. I became curious and tried to befriend two of the men that stayed in the inn. It...it turns out I was too trusting."

She closed her eyes tight and bowed her head so that her hair partially hid her face. Ciel averted his gaze from her as it made him feel awkward when women became emotional. Lau looked at Ciel, and then Tillie.

"Miss Tillie, let me pull a chair up for you to sit," said Lau kindly, starting to rise. "It won't do for you to stand like that and describe such an ordeal." Ciel and Tillie both fixed Lau with identical looks of astonishment. Tillie hid her face again when Lau gave her an amiable smile.

"I-it's alright, sir, I can get it myself, no need to-"

Tillie stopped short when she realized her hand landed on something softer than the wood of the chair she had reached for. She looked down and saw a tan hand peeking out under an emerald sleeve already grasping the top of the chair. Her gaze shot up in time to see the coy smile spread across Lau's lips. She hastily pulled her hand back and instantly turned the color of a ripe tomato.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't see you." Her eyes were wide as she studied him carefully. He picked the chair up easily and set it down beside the card table. He turned back to see her rooted in place just staring at him.

"I assure you, Miss Tillie, I don't bite," said Lau teasingly. "...When I'm not asked to." Tillie's eyes nearly bugged out and she shivered involuntarily.

"Mr. Lau, that's enough," said Ciel, his cheeks red. He glared at Lau. "I won't have you traumatizing my servants. Tillie, come sit down and continue."

"Yes, sir," she said quietly. She sat demurely on the chair and glanced at their card game before speaking again. "As I was saying, I was foolish for trying to befriend those men. It turned out that they had heard rumors about me and my heritage from some townsfolk that weren't very fond of me. I was kidnapped in my sleep. They drugged me and put me on a cargo train that went out east. There were more men on the train. I tried to escape or fight them, but they would drug me even more. I was then held captive in an opium den somewhere on the east coast. They forced me to take opium so I...was unable to fight them off. When I woke they had m-" Tillie stopped and balled her fists, realizing she had almost told them about the tattoo. Tears gathered in her eyes.

"Go on, dear. You can tell us," said Lau. His voice and expression was somber. Ciel was staring at her in disbelief. They had abandoned their card game.

"They had me down as a gift for the head of a company overseas. I was loaded onto a ship as contraband. The same two men that I had met in California came with me. I was blindfolded and kept below deck. I suffered withdrawal sickness. They...wouldn't leave me alone." A shiver overtook her. She stood on shaky knees. "That's all I can tell you. I can't do this!" Tillie turned to exit but something captured her wrist. She swung her arm back to try and escape Lau's grip, but he caught her elbow and stilled her arm.

"Who did this to you?" His voice was soft and quiet but held an undertone of such anger that Tillie had never heard before. She looked over her shoulder at him.

His eyes were open, brow furrowed, and mouth set in a firm, thin line.

He was staring directly into the palm of her right hand.


	4. Sandalwood

Chapter Four: Sandalwood

 

Tillie instinctively clenched her fist, but the damage was done. He had seen her mark. She struggled to get her arm out of Lau's grip.

"Let go," she growled. "Get your hands off me!"

"Please let me see it," Lau said firmly. He prodded her wrist with his thumb to try to get her hand to open.

"No!" She tried to kick him in the leg but he dodged it easily. He fixed her with a curt glare.

"Calm down," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to look at the design on your hand."

Ciel gaped at the scene playing out in front of him. He had never seen the Chinese man act so serious before and was appalled at the behavior of his new maid.

"And I want you to let go of me!" said Tillie angrily. She swiped at him with her free arm and barely grazed his chin. She then aimed a knee jab below the belt. Lau tugged her arm, throwing her off-balance. She fell into his chest and he caught her easily, securing an arm around her back. It took her a couple seconds to register that her face was squashed against his chest. He smelled like sandalwood soap with an outlying scent of smoke. She jumped to attention and pushed against his chest, her cheeks flaming because of her proximity to him."How dare you!"

"Tillie, settle down this instant," ordered Ciel. "Sebastian!"

"Yes, my Lord," said Sebastian, appearing suddenly beside Ciel's chair.

"Hold Tillie still ," said Ciel, standing up. "We need to see whatever is on her hand."

"Yes, my Lord," said Sebastian.

"That's alright. She's quite cozy like this," said Lau, sliding a hand up to her shoulder and smiling impishly. She brought her right hand up to strike him in the face, but Sebastian caught her wrist and held it. With his other hand he held her fingers up out of the way.

"Perhaps you may see it now, sir," said Sebastian, a smirk on his face as Tillie glared over her shoulder at him.

"Thank you, Sebastian," said Lau. He scrutinized her hand, his dark brown eyes widening in surprise. "Ran-Mao...come take a look." Tillie realized Ran-Mao had been silently observing from the doorway. She walked up beside Lau, eyes darting to Tillie's hand. Her eyebrows shot up and she shared a glance with Lau. Ciel gazed over their shoulders at the mark.

"A dragon? What does it mean?" asked Ciel.

"Power. Nature. Spring," said Lau. He traced a fingertip across the different features of the dragon. "This is remarkable ink work. The artist must have a very steady hand if he dealt with you, Miss Tillie."

"I was drugged," spat Tillie, glaring. "I would never have been marked otherwise. Let go of me!" She shoved against his chest and he released her. Sebastian immediately seized her by the shoulders.

"Our deepest apologies for our newest maid. I assure you she will be disciplined for her lack of proper decorum. If you'll excuse us…" Sebastian started leading her out of the drawing room and placed a hand over her mouth to muffle her protests.

Lau and Ran-Mao stared after them with great interest in their expressions.

.~*~

Tillie glared daggers into Sebastian's back. He was a demon, alright. For part of her punishment she was to help prepare the lemons, limes, and oranges for fruit salad. After that, she was to chop ginger to go with ingredients for dinner. She was then expected to do all the scrubbing for the laundry.

All of these punishments were centered around her feline nature. Tillie hated nearly the same things that cats hated. Citrus made her nose and mouth burn, ginger made her nauseous, and she hated doing laundry because it involved actually exerting effort. For a cat lover, Sebastian sure knew how to punish one.

Sebastian turned around from his work and smirked at her. Tillie glared harder. The smug bastard was preparing salmon for dinner and kept flaunting that she wasn't allowed to have any for dinner as part of her punishment. Tillie was most likely skipping dinner that night due to the amount of chores she needed to finish.

"Pick up the pace," said Sebastian in an overly cheerful tone. "I do plan on serving fruit salad with afternoon tea. You are expected to handle dishwashing as well. You are our scullery maid, after all."

Tillie made a growling noise as she worked.

Bard, Finny, and Mey-Rin walked in carrying bins of laundry. They gave looks of pity to Tillie. She gaped at them.

"You've got to be kidding me. All that will take me until tomorrow!" Tillie protested.

"You should be grateful that I'm having them soak and rub stains out for you. Unless you'd like to add to your duties?" Sebastian's red eyes glinted at her. She broke his gaze.

"No. You're being generous enough," she said, peeling vigorously.

"Good kitty." Evil. Pure evil.

.~*~.

It was past midnight and Tillie had been working non-stop on her chores all day. Sebastian had enjoyed smirking widely at her and spiking her anger. She still had one more bucket of laundry to scrub and then had to figure out how she was to hang all the clothes on the clothesline before sunrise.

"This is beyond ridiculous," she muttered tiredly.

"Tillie?" She looked up to meet the large turquoise eyes of the young gardener.

"Hey, Finny. What are you doing still up?" she asked, rubbing her arm over her tired eyes.

"Mey-Rin asked me to check on you," said Finny. He looked around at the laundry that had been scrubbed and rinsed. "It would take you until tomorrow to dry all of these."

"Yes, I am well aware," said Tillie, her voice cracking with exhaustion. "It's what I get for attacking Mr. Lau."

"Why did you do it?" asked Finny, staring at her in awe. "Mr. Lau is usually sort of nice. I can't imagine-"

"I knew he was colleagues with the man who had me sent over here. I didn't trust him. He made me show him my tattoo." She scrubbed furiously, starting to mutter nonsense to herself. "Stupid...sandalwood-smelling...slant-eyed...stupid face."

"Uh...are you alright, Tillie?" asked Finny, fixing her with a nervous look. "What's this about a tattoo?"

"This." Tillie brought her right hand out of the water, splashing him in the process. She showed him her palm. "It's a dragon. It was like...a cattle brand or something to the man I was supposed to be given to." Finny gasped.

"My God, Tillie. I'm so sorry," said Finny sadly.

"Don't apologize, Finny. You're not even the one to blame," said Tillie. She looked at him. "Why are you tearing up?"

"I have a mark, too," he said quietly. Tillie paused. He turned around and pulled the collar of his shirt down. It was her turn to gasp. "I was experimented on. It's how I got my strength."

"How strong are you, Finny?" asked Tillie. She watched him with a sad expression as he turned back around. He smiled and walked over to her.

"Let me show you." He scooped her and the stool she was sitting on up in one fluid motion.

"Ah!" Wide-eyed, she flung her sopping wet arms around his neck. "Wow! Please don't drop me in the washtub!" Finny giggled and blushed.

"Don't worry. Wasn't planning to. I was thinking I could help dry the clothes if you want. I'm good at wringing them out." He smiled proudly. "It's one of the few things Sebastian lets me do."

"If you don't mind..." Tillie sent a wide-eyed, pleading look his way. He stared back, his eyes shimmering in admiration. "Finny?" He blinked and turned beet red.

"Sorry." He set her and the stool down gently. She let him go once she was safely on the ground.

"I'd appreciate the help," said Tillie. "I'm afraid of falling asleep in the washtub."

"I'm on it!" Finny said. He brought the buckets of wet laundry to the sink and set to work, humming. Tillie resumed her scrubbing.

"I still feel bad for scratching you earlier," said Tillie, glancing at the bandage on his cheek. "You said the birds I pounced at were your friends? What was that about?"

"Well, when I was being experimented on, there was a little window where a birdy visited me every day. He was my only friend," said Finny, smiling fondly. "Now that I work for Master, I get to work outside all day. I love bonding with the birdies."

"That's sweet," said Tillie, smiling. "And now I know not to hunt them." She giggled. Finny looked at her uneasily.

"Do you really hunt birds?" he asked.

"As a cat, yes. I lived on the streets before I came here," said Tillie. "I was scared and in hiding. I had to do something for food."

Finny didn't say anything to that and they stayed silent until they were both finished with their tasks about an hour later.

"I can't thank you enough for helping out, Finny," said Tillie, smiling at him through sleepy eyes.

"You're a Phantomhive servant now, and we all stick together," said Finny, grinning. He yawned widely. "We should go to bed. It's way late." He led the way out of the kitchen.

"I'm with you there," yawned Tillie. They said goodnight and went their separate ways. Tillie stumbled into her and Mey-Rin's room quietly. She shifted into cat form and hopped on her cot, wriggling under the blankets.

That was the night Mey-Rin discovered cats could snore.

.~*~.

Tillie awoke glaring daggers at everyone. It was barely daybreak and Bard and Tillie were already clashing in the kitchen.

"That's not how you cut the mushrooms, Tillie!" said Bard, looming over her shoulder, supervising as she did all the preparation of the ingredients.

"I am dicing them like you said," insisted Tillie through gritted teeth.

"What you're doing is slicing!"

"No, this is slicing." She cut two slivers of mushroom to show him.

"Don't slice it! Why did you slice it?!" he yelled. Tillie huffed, thinking he was clearly overreacting.

"I was showing you the difference, Bard."

"I'm the cook, I don't need showing!"

"Make up your mind! Which one is it?" asked Tillie, getting impatient.

"I told you! Dicing!"

"Don't yell at me! I've been dicing all this time!"

"Dicing, my arse!"

"I WILL dice THAT in a minute if you don't quit bothering me!" yelled Tillie, a slight growl to her voice.

"Pardon me, but I suggest you fight at a lower volume lest you wish to incur the wrath of our young master. He isn't due to wake for another hour," said Sebastian, appearing at the doorway.

"He doesn't know the difference between slicing and dicing," quipped Tillie, pointing at Bard with the knife.

"Watch it!" said Bard, dropping his cigarette in alarm. Sebastian rubbed his temples, sighing.

"Since it is a simple dish for breakfast today, you may prepare it on your own, Bard," said Sebastian. "Tillie, you will be responsible for washing dishes. In the meanwhile, go help Mey-Rin tidy rooms. And no more bickering."

"Alright, then," said Tillie, eager to get away. She left the kitchen and bounded up the stairs looking for Mey-Rin. She eventually found her dusting in a guest bedroom. "Need some help, Mey-Rin?"

"I sure would like some," said Mey-Rin. "Aren't you supposed to be helping Bard?"

"I was, but it was turning into a hostile situation, so Sebastian sent me up here," said Tillie. Mey-Rin paused in her dusting and peered at Tillie through her round spectacles.

"Speaking of hostile, why would you attack Mr. Lau like that?" asked Mey-Rin. "He was acting mighty strange at dinner, he was. You might have gone and made an enemy of him."

"I don't know what it is about him," said Tillie, running a hand through her hair and messing it up. "He just acts so different from what I'm used to. Did you know he offered me a seat when I first went to talk to him and Master? I've never had that happen to me. I've never sat in the presence of the upper class before. Rich people in America are uppity, hateful, and obsessed with riches."

"He asked you to sit down? Well, that is a bit unusual..." Mey-Rin said, looking thoughtful.

"He doesn't even smell right. He smells like sandalwood soap and I thought he would smell like bath oils or something."

"Bath oils?!" Mey-Rin giggled. "What?! You've been smelling him?"

"No!" Tillie was wide-eyed. "I mean, how could I not smell him when my face is up against him. But I don't actively sniff him or anything!" Mey-Rin squealed and twirled her feather duster around.

"Your face was up against him?!" she hyperventilated with a creepy smile on her face. Tillie blushed.

"Not like how you seem to be picturing it. Anyway, why are we cleaning the guest bedroom?" said Tillie, hastily trying to change the subject.

"Our friends Prince Soma and Agni are coming to visit from India," said Mey-Rin, calming down for a moment. "Naturally, Mr. Lau will be staying, too, so we'll have to clean the other guest room across the hall."

"Wow. Master sure gets a lot of visitors," said Tillie.

"It's because he's in London for business. He's what you would call the Queen's guard dog, so he takes care of special cases she asks him to," said Mey-Rin. She then noticed Tillie just standing there. "Well, make yourself useful and help change the bedsheets in the room across the hall, will ya?"

"Aye-aye, boss!" Tillie saluted before going to her duties.

After tidying the bedrooms Tillie and Mey-Rin came downstairs to the kitchen to see Bard smugly lounging by the open kitchen door taking the last drag from his cigarette. Both girls gawked at him.

"Oy, what've you been doin'?" asked Mey-Rin, eyeing him suspiciously. Her eyes swept the kitchen for signs of anything burnt.

"I'm just relaxing after making the best breakfast quiche ever!" Bard tossed his cigarette out the door and crossed his arms behind his head, sighing happily. Mey-Rin raised an eyebrow skeptically and then ran to the oven and looked inside.

"Oh my word! There's actually a quiche in here and it's not burnt!" Mey-Rin yelled. Melodic laughter came from the kitchen doorway and Tillie turned around to see a tall tanned-skin man wearing a turban. From the bindi on his forehead and his clothing, Tillie guessed he was one of their Indian visitors. She stared. She had never seen someone young-looking like him with white hair. His light gray eyes were a contrast to his tan skin.

"I was able to give Bard a few ideas on how to safely use his blowtorch in the kitchen," said the man. "It is a process called 'caramelizing.' He is very good at it." Bard stood and dramatically bowed.

"Agni! You're here!" said Mey-Rin, blushing hard. Bard looked slightly annoyed.

"It is nice to see you again, friend," said Agni. Mey-Rin hid her squeal of admiration in her handkerchief. Agni noticed Tillie standing beside her. "Oh, hello! You're a new face!"

"Hi! I'm Tillie the new scullery maid. Nice to meet you." She smiled and blushed like Mey-Rin. Bard huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Namaste," said Agni, bowing his head. Sebastian appeared over his shoulder.

"Agni, would you care to help me in preparing side dishes for today's breakfast?" he asked.

"Of course, my friend!" said Agni, smiling.

Bard, Mey-Rin, and Tillie were content to sit by and watch as the two men swiftly worked in the kitchen until Sebastian pierced them with his red eyes.

"Bard, Mey-Rin, help set the table. Tillie, start cleaning up." Sebastian and Agni expertly plated side dishes that seemed to have taken them only a matter of minutes to create.

"Aye-aye!" The three said. Bard and Mey-Rin brought the plates and silver to the dining room. Sebastian and Agni hefted huge trays upon their shoulders and followed shortly. Tillie was left to gather dirty pots and pans to dump the excess food into the slop pail.

"So, where is this scullery everyone keeps talking about?"

Tillie whipped her head around to the kitchen threshold. "Mr. Lau!" She set a pot down and wiped her hands clean on her apron. Her stomach dropped at the thought of being alone in a room with him.

"May I come in, or am I interrupting you?" He stood smiling widely with his hands clasped in his sleeves. He was wearing a deep blue garment with gold fastenings. The fabric had phoenix trail designs patterning it.

"Er...are you sure, sir?" asked Tillie, fidgeting with her apron. "I was just going to wash dishes."

"Of course. I was hoping to solve this big mystery of what a scullery is and why a maid is required for it." He looked at her expectantly. "Are you not the scullery maid?"

"Oh...alright, then. Come in, sir, and I'll give you a tour," said Tillie, giving in reluctantly.

"Excellent!" He walked in and stopped a short distance from her. She looked around awkwardly.

"Er...this is the kitchen. Here's the oven, cabinets, Bard's flamethrower..." Both of them eyed it warily. "The scullery is through here past this half wall. There's a sink and boiler, wash tubs for laundry and dishes, an iron, and it is also a bunker to hide from Bard when he is wielding the flamethrower. This is pretty much the scullery." She swept an arm out over the unremarkable contents of the room.

"I see," said Lau flatly. "How...disappointing."

"Disappointing, sir? How so?" Tillie peered curiously at him.

"I had built up a scullery to be a vast mystery in my mind." He spanned his hand out in front of him with a wistful expression as if presenting a dream. "But, alas, it is only a room for housework." He dropped his hand and let out a little sigh.

"Sometimes the expectation you build up often lets you down." Tillie said, smiling in amusement. He tilted his head and stared at her.

"I didn't know you could smile. You should do it more often." She blushed and averted her gaze, dropping her smile.

"I do smile, with the other servants." She resumed fiddling with her apron, batting at the ties behind her back.

"Hmmm. I think I would like to see a genuine smile from you," said Lau, bringing his clasped hands up to his mouth in a thoughtful manner.

"I regret to say that my genuine smiles are not seen upon command, nor are they given out freely, sir." She pointed her chin up defiantly. He chuckled.

"Then perhaps I'll have to try coaxing one out of you." She stepped back guardedly. "Do you like jokes?" She froze.

"Sir?" She couldn't believe he was wasting her time with talk of jokes.

"You know...jokes? Haha?" She stared. "I bet you'll like this one. Why did the cat run from the tree? Because it was afraid of its bark! Hahaha! Ha?" He gauged her reaction with a playful open-mouthed smile on his face.

No visible reaction. Tillie tried not to laugh at his smile alone.

"Alright...why did the silly poker player try feeding coins to the cat? The other players told him to put the money in the kitty." Tillie found herself tittering at the wording. "Ah! You liked that one! Would you like to hear another?"

"Um...sure, sir."

"How does the man in the moon cut his hair?" said Lau. Tillie raised an eyebrow. "'E clips it!" He put on a terrible British accent. Tillie snorted loudly as she tried to suppress her laughter. Lau's eyes widened at her before breaking into gleeful laughter. She doubled over on the kitchen counter laughing so hard that her face turned red.

"I'm so sorry! I've forgotten my manners!" Tillie choked through her giggles. Lau wiped tears of mirth from his eyes with a sleeve and gazed at her.

"Miss Tillie, I'm glad to have brought you some amusement. You really could afford to smile and laugh more often," said Lau. His usual coy smile spread across his lips and Tillie cleared her throat, idly messing with some utensils that had been left on the counter. She smirked when she thought of a humorous reply to give him.

"Yes, well-"

"Ah, Mr. Lau. May I ask why you are in the kitchen, sir?" said Sebastian. Lau and Tillie jumped and turned towards him. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Tillie should be washing the dishes now."

"Just a little harmless joking, Sebastian!" said Lau.

"Please come with me to the dining room, if you will," said Sebastian, gracefully gesturing out the door. "Bard actually made an excellent breakfast quiche today. You must try it."

"If you insist. Well, Miss Tillie, I must leave you to your duties. Ta-ta for now!" He caught her by surprise by flicking a finger lightly under her chin while passing her. She stared after him with red cheeks as he walked out of the kitchen. Sebastian lingered for a moment to smirk at her.

"Make haste with your chores. You'll most likely be summoned after breakfast. Master found out a very interesting fact about you last night." With that, he turned on his heel and followed Lau.

Tillie stared at the dragon on her right palm. Her secrets seemed to be unravelling one by one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you wondering a 'kitty' was slang for what a communal sum of money was called. That particular joke stuck with me since I was confused with the phrase.
> 
> By the way, I don't own the jokes in this chapter. I'm horrible at telling jokes. I browsed joke sites trying to find 'Lau-like' jokes.


	5. Chess Piece

Tillie was called to Ciel's study shortly after breakfast. Ciel sat at his desk and silently scrutinized her. Sebastian stood just beside him doing the same. She stood with hands clasped in front of her and eyes fixed on the window behind them. Snow had begun to fall. She shifted awkwardly as the silence pressed on. The boy was eerily solemn for a twelve-year-old.

"It is to my understanding that you can change your form," said Ciel.

"Yes, sir."

"What exactly are you?" he asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"That's an interesting question, sir. Even I don't fully know, to be honest. But I will tell you all I can," said Tillie.

"Fair enough. Proceed."

"I get my abilities from my parents. My mother was from a tribe that believed in animal spirit guides. My father had a Navajo father and white mother. He first appeared to my mother as a wolf and she believed he was her spirit guide. My mother's tribe forbid her from seeing him because they believed he would steal her soul. There were tales of Navajos able to walk the earth as animals and collect souls by their gaze alone. My parents ran away together from Montana to California. Skinwalkers were feared legends of the dark. We were very much shunned by people who only believed rumors. When I was growing up, my parents noticed I had a weird tendency to be drawn to animals. Cats in particular. My father tested me to see if I had the same ability as him."

"Well," said Ciel. "What happened?"

"We're able to become the animals we put in a trance. In other words, they become docile with one glance and we seem to acquire their very essence. It explains why I'm so cat-like," explained Tillie. "I entranced my favorite alley cat. My cat form is kind of like a reflection of my human form. The eyes are the same color and my hair is almost like a tortoiseshell coat color."

"Your house cat form is not what I'm interested in," said Ciel impatiently. "A mere cat could not kill Shuang's associates in an alley."

"Ah," said Tillie. "So Sebastian's already told you…"

"He told me you killed them, yes," said Ciel. "What I want to know is how?"

"Shall I show you, sir?" Tillie smoothed out her skirts and stood up straight. Sebastian's eyes glinted in anticipation. Ciel's brow rose in intrigue.

"Please."

Tillie gave a smile and then suddenly a large black panther was standing in the middle of Ciel's study. Ciel sat up abruptly and stared at the big cat in awe. Big yellow eyes stared back at him, and sharp, pointy teeth were bared. Sebastian had a wide smile on his face as he took in the features of the panther up close. Her coat was a dark slate color and spotted with black jaguar spot patterns.

"Magnificent," breathed Sebastian. Tillie shifted back to human.

"I cornered those two men in an alley by the docks. They never saw me coming until I was right on them," said Tillie, a sick smile twisting her features at the memory. "Grell came to reap their souls after I was done with them."

"Well, that explains that," remarked Ciel. "As for another matter, how are you able to tell that Sebastian is a demon and that Grell is a Reaper?" Tillie shrugged.

"Maybe my abilities make me more spiritual than most," she said. "My parents never liked to talk about or associate with those type of people. I do remember a man like Sebastian lived in El Dorado. He lived off of the souls of people at the saloons." Sebastian huffed.

"Hardly like me. I seek souls of a higher quality," said Sebastian haughtily. Ciel blinked and then stared at him.

"Tillie, go see to the guests in the drawing room," said Ciel. "We will be there shortly."

"But-"

"Tillie." Sebastian's tone was laced with warning. Ciel's brow furrowed at her. Tillie gave them one last defiant look before padding out of the room.

\---

Tillie soon found herself sitting next to Lau on the settee in the drawing room. She was certain she saw Soma and Agni exchange an amused glance when Lau had insisted. They sat in awkward silence until Lau set his empty tea cup on the table. Tillie reached for the teapot that held the chai tea he so favored.

"Did Miss Ran-Mao accompany you here, Mr. Lau?" asked Tillie, refilling his cup. She was surprised that the woman wasn't already there braiding her hair into cat buns. She slid the cup back to him and he grabbed for it, his fingers brushing her hand. Tillie withdrew her hand quickly, her face red.

"Not this time. I'll be sure to let her know that you asked for her," said Lau. "She had to do some business on her own." He smiled at her over his teacup.

"Miss Ran-Mao does business by herself?" Tillie's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Of course," said Lau. "She doesn't need my help with what she does." He laughed to himself.

"Oh. Please pardon me for being so bold, but I am curious about one thing," said Tillie slowly.

"Ask away, dear."

"Er...how long has Miss Ran-Mao been your betrothed?" Once the question left her mouth, Tillie wished she could take it back. Soma and Agni were transfixed on the scene before them, amused smiles on their faces.

"Me and Ran-Mao betrothed?" said Lau in awe. He threw back his head in laughter. "That's absurd! What ever gave you that idea?"

Tillie, Soma, and Agni all sweatdropped as they simultaneously thought of Ran-Mao always sitting on his lap and him petting her like a cat. This didn't go unnoticed by Lau.

"No, no, no. Ran-Mao is like my little sister. She is so loyal to me and the only family I have left," explained Lau. A sly smile appeared on his face. "Surely you're not jealous, Miss Tillie?" He reached over to tickle her under the chin. Tillie felt her face heat up instantly.

"What? O-of course not!" Tillie stammered, leaning away from him to the point of nearly falling off the settee. "Mr. Lau, please don't touch me." Just as Lau's fingers sought her chin and started tickling, Tillie gave a squeak and toppled over the side of the settee. Soma spluttered on his tea in his laughter and Agni had to thump him on the back while trying to contain his own laughter.

"I thought I told you to not traumatize my maid, Lau."

Everyone looked up as Ciel entered the drawing room followed closely by Sebastian. Tillie blushed and got up off of the floor, casting a slight glare Lau's way.

"It was just some harmless teasing, my young earl," said Lau, his sly smile still in place.

"Not to mention very amusing!" chortled Soma. Tillie silently wiped up with a cloth the small puddle of tea on the mahogany table that Soma had expelled in his laughter. Agni was too busy chortling into his hand to notice.

"Regardless. I doubt even you would mess with her if you knew what she was capable of, Lau," said Ciel, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Master!" Tillie protested.

"Ah, but I do know, my dear earl. You are not the only one privy to the dark secrets of the underworld," said Lau, smiling slyly. All eyes turned to him. "This girl has toiled alone, keeping the one secret of her existence locked up inside. Desperate enough to take to walking the streets to survive. Her sweet flesh tainted by the evils of this world..."

"I b-b-beg your pardon?" said Tillie, sounding outraged. Her cheeks flushed with humiliation.

"What are you on about?" asked Ciel, glaring at Lau.

"All I am doing is trying to sympathize with the plight that Miss Tillie endured," said Lau. "To be smuggled a world away and branded with the worst intentions..."

"B-b-but you...you described it like I was a harlot!" stuttered Tillie.

"My apologies, miss. It was not my intention." He bowed his head to Tillie.

"It seems that Mr. Lau is taking artistic freedom of the situation once more, Master," said Sebastian.

"I should have known," growled Ciel.

"What?" asked Tillie, confused.

"Mr. Lau has quite a history of making it seem like he has some form of intuition about something, when he is really just faking it," explained Ciel.

"You wound me," said Lau overdramatically, placing a hand over his heart. Ciel rolled his eyes. Tillie stared blankly at Lau. He winked, widening his eyes to perform the action. She turned away from him and huffed.

"Anyway," said Soma, who had finally caught his breath and stopped laughing. "I have some news. Apparently, the human trafficking is even more rampant in India. While we were there, we intercepted a woman that had been kidnapped and transported against her will. The men that were with her said they were with the company Kon Ron, but they seemed rather odd." Tillie's head shot up at his words.

"That name," she said. "That's the company that they branded me for."

There was a long pause in which the men in the room expressed different reactions. Soma and Agni widened their eyes at her in surprise, Ciel furrowed his brow, Sebastian smirked, and Lau's smile widened considerably. Tillie narrowed her eyes as she looked around at them.

"...What is it?"

"So...are you saying that you don't know that you're technically owned by -"

"It's best not to finish that sentence, Prince Soma," said Ciel, his lips quirking up in mild amusement. Soma's eyes flickered between Lau and Tillie before fixing Ciel with a questioning gaze. "My maid is easily irritable, you see." Tillie huffed.

"I am not!" she protested, stomping her foot. "What are you trying to keep from me?"

"Mind your attitude in front of guests, Tillie, or you may excuse yourself," chided Sebastian. She glared at him.

"I shall excuse myself, then. Pardon me," said Tillie, giving her chicken wing flap curtsy before walking out. She cast Sebastian a defiant glare over her shoulder. Once out in the hallway, she checked to make sure no one was around before shifting to her cat form and flouncing back in.

"Ah, ah, ah. No kitty cats allowed in the room while refreshments are being served." Sebastian scooped her swiftly into his arms. She yowled in protest, bringing attention to herself.

"Ciel, since when did you have a cat?" asked Soma.

"Sebastian found her in the city a couple of days ago. He figures she will be useful for our rodent problem. I'm beginning to wonder if she's more trouble than she's worth. We may just leave her behind in the city when the time comes."

"I would be glad to take her off your hands," said Lau. "Ran-Mao would like a little friend."

Tillie cowered against Sebastian's chest and fixed the Chinese man with a mean glare. Sebastian let out a short chuckle and stroked her ears.

"No offense, Mr. Lau, but she doesn't seem to be very fond of you," said Sebastian.

"Nonsense. Let me see her. She's probably just shy," said Lau, putting his arms out to receive the cat.

"If she was an alley cat, she's probably really mean. I'd be careful if I were you," said Soma, bracing himself for more entertainment.

"Go ahead, Sebastian," said Ciel, a hint of laughter in his voice. "Let him have it."

"As you wish, master," said Sebastian. He handed Tillie to Lau. She wasted no time in batting him in the face with her left paw. Soma and Agni didn't even attempt to stifle their laughter.

"Feisty, aren't you?" chuckled Lau. He set her on his lap and scratched behind her ears. Tillie flattened her ears against her head and fixed him with a glare. "Oh, stop that. I haven't done anything to you, kitty." She growled in return and whacked her tail upon his knee in a steady rhythm.

"I think she's about to gnaw your arm off," said Soma. Ciel cleared his throat loudly and all heads turned towards him.

"Could we stay on topic for once? I swear you're all distracted by the tiniest things." The earl had an annoyed expression on his face.

"Of course, my lord," said Lau, running a hand through Tillie's fur. Her hackles rose under his touch. "Er...what were we talking about again?"

"I was talking about finding out about human trafficking in India. Two men claimed they were working for Kon Ron," said Soma.

"They were lying, of course," said Lau. "Kon Ron does not deal in human trafficking nor will it ever. I would very much like to know who these gentlemen are. Were they Chinese?"

"Yes...but when I asked them if they knew you, they had no idea."

"Hmmm. Interesting. To think my own employees don't know me." Tillie sat up abruptly, her claws digging into Lau's pants leg in alarm. She heard him wince and he laid a hand on her back gently. "Hear something, sweet?" Without a second glance, Tillie shot off Lau's lap and raced out of the room. She ran through the kitchen and tore out the back door into the gardens. Finny looked up from the plants he was wrapping to protect from the cold. Snow flurries continued to fall.

"What's the matter, Tillie?" he asked. She flinched and looked over her shoulder to see if anyone had followed her. Seeing the coast was clear, she gave Finny one last look before changing to human form.

"Finny, I...I need to get away from here for a while," stammered Tillie. "I need to be alone to think. Please let the others know I'll be back later."

"What? But it's going to snow!" said Finny, fixing her with an anxious expression. Tillie ignored him and changed back to cat form. Before he could say anything else, she had already scaled the garden wall.

\---

Tillie sat on an alley wall facing the street. She blankly watched passersby go about their day, oblivious to the cat lost in thought above their heads. A cold chill ran up her spine. Lau was the head of Kon Ron and the man who Shuang and his men had intended to send her to. Her tail thumped restlessly on the brick wall. And he KNEW. He had seen her tattoo. He knew what that implied. Now his weird fascination with her made sense. She thought back to his coy smile and shuddered. Did he think he owned her now? Tillie growled to herself. She didn't belong to him. Never.

"Ning-ning."

Tillie nearly fell off the wall in alarm. Hackles raised and tail puffed up, she hissed at the form towering over her on the wall. Ran-Mao stood over her, gazing down at her with a peculiar expression. She held in her hands what looked like rods with large ornamental balls at the ends. Tillie looked wildly around them. How had she gotten to the top of the wall without her noticing? Surely she hadn't climbed up!

Ran-Mao transferred a rod to her other hand before reaching out to Tillie. Tillie eyed her warily, hackles still raised.

"Hey, you! Mind telling me why you stole that last kill off of me?!" A shrill voice rang from above. They both looked up and spotted Grell, the scarlet-clad reaper standing on the edge of the rooftop above them. He jumped down and landed neatly beside them. "Tillie? What are you doing here with her? AAAAGH!" Tillie lunged and sank her teeth into his ankle.

"Tillie?" Ran-Mao didn't miss a thing. Before Tillie could react, Ran-Mao swooped down and picked her up and away from Grell. Tillie mewled in protest.

"Honestly, Tillie! What's gotten into you? That hurt!" whined Grell. Ran-Mao glanced at him and then looked down at Tillie, a thoughtful look on her face. She wriggled, trying to escape, but Ran-Mao held her in a firm grip. Tillie sunk her claws into Ran-Mao's arm and hissed. Ran-Mao didn't flinch.

"This is Tillie? The girl?" asked Ran-Mao. Grell paused in massaging his ankle to look at her.

"Well, yes. I didn't think anyone else knew of her little trick besides Sebastian."

"Grr! Why can't you keep your mouth shut, Grell?!" Tillie had changed into human form. Ran-Mao looked astonished to suddenly have her arm around Tillie's waist where there was a cat just moments before.

"I wasn't aware I was obligated to keep my mouth shut. By the way, how rude!" said Grell flippantly. Tillie let out a sound of frustration and rounded on Ran-Mao, shrugging out of her grasp.

"Listen, you!" Tillie pointed in Ran-Mao's face. Her golden eyes were round like saucers as she regarded Tillie. "I don't know if you're in cahoots with Lau or what, but I now know he's the one I was marked for. I'm not his property. Make sure you let him know that. I do not belong to anyone."

Ran-Mao held eye contact. "Shuang is our enemy. He's wrong."

"What?" asked Tillie, caught off-guard.

"Shuang and his men are trying to frame us," Ran-Mao spoke slowly and concisely. "Come with me."

"Um, excuse me? Am I going to get an answer on why you-" Ran-Mao brought down one of her rods onto the top of Grell's head, effectively knocking him out before he could finish his sentence.

"What are those?" asked Tillie, eyeing the weapons and stepping over Grell.

"Clubs," said Ran-Mao simply. Tillie shivered and took a step back.

"Grell said you stole his kill…"

"It was my kill," said Ran-Mao calmly. "Shuang's men."

"What?!" exclaimed Tillie, wide-eyed. Ran-Mao grabbed her around the waist without warning and launched the both of them up the wall and onto the ledge of the rooftop. "Ran-Mao! Are you trying to kill us?" Ran-Mao ignored her and launched them onto another roof. "Seriously! Can't we just walk?!" By the way they moved rapidly from one roof to the next, the answer was no.

The roof of the Phantomhive house came into view and Tillie felt an overwhelming feeling overcome her. Ran-Mao jumped easily down an alley wall and landed them gracefully on the ground. Ran-Mao grabbed Tillie's hand and led her up the path to the Phantomhive house. Sebastian opened the door before they could reach the front steps.

"Miss Ran-Mao, welcome. It is convenient that you and Tillie arrive at the same time, as you are both needed in the drawing room." Sebastian stepped aside to let them in and then led them to the drawing room. Lau stood up when they came in. Ciel, Soma, and Agni looked on with raised eyebrows at the sight of Ran-Mao leading Tillie in by the hand.

"My dear Ran-Mao. I trust your business went well?" he asked, his hands clasped in his sleeves. Ran-Mao went to him and began speaking quietly in Chinese. After a minute, Lau's eyes opened and sought Tillie, who was stuck standing behind Ran-Mao as she hadn't let go of her hand yet. He directed a question to Ran-Mao in Chinese and she answered almost immediately. Tillie shifted under his gaze, her eyes seeking the floor.

"Not this again," muttered Ciel, rubbing his temples.

"And I thought my attention span needed work," said Soma.

"My dear earl," said Lau, his face serious. "You've known more about the details of this case than you've let on."

"What of it?" said Ciel. "It doesn't concern you. It's my business to know as the Queen's guard dog." Tillie looked up from staring hard at the floor and met Lau's gaze. She flinched, jerking her hand away from Ran-Mao's and backing away. His dark eyes were smoldering and silent fury radiated from him. His eyes cut away from her and towards Ciel.

"It is my business, my lord. It has come to my attention that I am being blackmailed. I'm sorry, but I cannot be just a chess piece this time." Lau's tone had lost its usual airy quality.

"Very well. Do what you must. Just don't get in my way," said Ciel. His blue eye narrowed at the Chinese man. Lau smiled, but the action didn't reach his eyes.

"It's the last thing in my mind, my lord."


	6. Alliance

Tillie was relieved to be excused from the drawing room to finish her servant's duties for the rest of the day, which passed without incident aside from the small kitchen fire that Bard set off trying to fry beignets. After all the dishes had been put up for the night, Tillie made her way upstairs to the room she shared with Mey-Rin. The door to a guest room opened as she ascended the stairs and Ran-Mao peeked out at her. Before Tillie could react, she was taken by the arm and pulled into the room.

"What-?" Tillie froze when she saw Lau lounging nonchalantly on the bed. His garment was unbuttoned and a sliver of bare torso was exposed.

"Good evening," he said, smiling. Tillie blushed and averted her eyes.

"W-what can I help you with, sir?" She cursed the telltale redness of her cheeks. The exotic tan color of his skin was like a magnet to her eyes and she had to fight to keep her gaze fixed on the rug.

"I need you to tell me a few things about your experiences with Shuang's men." His tone of voice wasn't as harsh as it was earlier that afternoon, but still serious.

"My...experiences..." Tillie felt sick at just the thought.

"You see, my dear, as Ran-Mao has told you, I'm being blackmailed. I need to know to what extent. Your cooperation is needed to help bring justice to those that put you in this situation."

"I see. Well, sir, I hope you understand that I am not inclined to give my trust as freely anymore. After all, that is how I got into this mess in the first place." It was a feat, but she concentrated on keeping the ire out of her voice.

"Miss Tillie, if I had any intention of harming you, I would have done so way before now," said Lau, letting her see his eyes. She noticed his gaze brush over her red cheeks. "Let's just say that Ran-Mao would have never brought you back here alive." Tillie gasped and turned to Ran-Mao, who was perched on the ornate trunk placed at the foot of the bed.

"We're friends," Ran-Mao said simply, taking note of the apprehension in Tillie's eyes.

"See? No worries with us," said Lau, a string of cheer laced into his tone. He began to stretch languidly, catching Tillie's attention once more.

"What would you have me do?" asked Tillie slowly. Lau brought his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. His unbuttoned garment swayed open, exposing even more of his chest.

Tillie caught a glance of some ink work on his left pectoral. She glanced away again, her face darkening when she noticed a wide smirk make its way across Lau's face. His hand drew the garment aside.

"Sir?!" Tillie protested, her hand shielding her eyes. Surely he wasn't starting a strip show!

"Don't fret, dear, I'm simply showing you something. You are curious, aren't you?"

"N-n-not that curious," said Tillie, keeping her eyes averted. Her face felt hot with embarrassment and...was she starting to hyperventilate?. She felt him walking closer and backed up, only to find a wardrobe at her back. Good Lord, was he trying to seduce her?

"This was why you were marked as you were, Tillie." His voice sounded strangely somber.

She very reluctantly looked up, only to gasp at the sight of the large blue dragon tattooed over a large portion of Lau's chest. he slipped his garment off of his left arm, revealing the entire dragon. The head started at his left pectoral, the body winding around the back and the tail twisting around his arm, the tip ending at his forearm. Her mouth went dry. She had never seen such a thing in her life. She vaguely remembered the searing pain in her hand at the application of her tattoo and her helplessness at preventing it.

"Did it hurt much?" she asked timidly. As she gazed upon the tattoo, there was an inexplicable urge to trace a finger over the outline. The tiny replica on her palm did this work of art no justice.

"I got mine done willingly, so I was ready to accept any pain. You, however..." He reached out and took her right hand. "I'm sorry you had to endure such a thing." His thumb gently rubbed her palm, sending tendrils of warmth up her arm.

"They tricked me into trusting them. Took me from the only home I knew and treated me like...like an object. They forced opium on me to keep me docile. I still get insomnia," said Tillie bitterly. She slipped her hand out of his grasp.

"I could arrange for you to be returned to America when you are done assisting me." She blinked at him for a moment before heaving a sigh.

"No need. There's nothing for me in America anymore. My family is dead and I don't know any relatives. Besides, I do have my job as a maid for Lord Phantomhive." She turned away from him and stepped toward the door. "May I go now?"

"Do I have your word that you'll assist me?" She slowly looked over her shoulder, relieved to see him tucking his garment back around his chest.

"Well...yes. I want justice."

"Very well, Miss Tillie. Pleasant dreams. See you tomorrow." He smiled at her as he tied his garment. Ran-Mao stood and opened the door to let her out.

"Tillie?" Finny was standing in the hallway, looking at her with a horrified expression. The door shut, but not before revealing the sight of Lau finishing tying his garment. "What were you doing in Mr. Lau's room?"

"Oh. Finny. He just had to talk to me," explained Tillie hastily.

"Alone in his room?" Said Finny, sounding utterly betrayed. Before she could say anything more, Finny burst into tears and went running down the stairs, upturning some floorboards.

"Finny! Wait!" called Tillie exasperatedly, dodging the floorboards to follow after him. She found him outside in the garden, sobbing in the corner by the far wall. "Finny...it wasn't what you thought at all. Miss Ran-Mao was there. We had to talk about me helping them catch the thugs responsible for my kidnapping."

Finny sniffled, rubbing his nose with the heel of his hand.

"Why are you crying, Finny?" Tillie crossed her arms over her chest. The boy was frustratingly adorable when his long lashes had tears clinging to them.

"I thought you and...and...him...were...I can't say it!" He dipped his face into his hand and whimpered.

"Well, we didn't do anything but talk. You can go ahead and stop crying now." Tillie put her hand on his shoulder and used her apron to wipe his tears. He sniffled and looked at her through pitiful large blue eyes. She bit her lip to keep from smiling.

"What is it?" Finny cocked his head in confusion.

"I was only in there five minutes at the most. That would have been pitiful if what you suspected me of had been true." She let out a giggle and patted his shoulder.

"Huh?" Finny stared at her in wide-eyed innocence. "What's pitiful about five minutes?"

Tillie sighed. "Five minutes isn't enough time to get something naughty done."

Finny's eyes widened even more and a brilliant blush came to his face. "H-how would you know?!"

"Not from personal experience, but I used to live and work in a hotel and you'd always overhear things when passing by the rooms." Finny blinked rapidly as his face turned the color of a tomato. Noticing she still had a hand on his shoulder, she removed it. "Anyway, we should get inside and see what to do about all of those flipped floorboards."

"O-okay." Finny accepted Tillie's help in standing up and followed her back into the house.

"I wonder," came a dangerously quiet voice from the darkness. Tillie and Finny froze in their tracks. "Just what possessed you two to ruin the flooring."

"S-S-Sebastian!" Finny whimpered in fear. Tillie found herself cowering. So this is what is was like to be on the receiving end of the butler's angry wrath.

Red eyes loomed closer to them until a moonbeam illuminated Sebastian's face only inches from them. Both servants yelped and fell backwards. A fist came down on both of their heads and they cried out, clutching at the sizable bumps that had already formed.

"You will both go upstairs to your rooms WITHOUT overturning anymore floorboards. I have a mind to give you both extra duties tomorrow. Do you understand?"

Finny and Tillie nodded and trudged carefully up the stairs, rubbing the bumps on their heads. A figure moved on the bannister above them. The pair nearly let out a yelp until Ran-Mao landed neatly on her feet on the landing in front of them, watching them curiously.

"What's this?" The girl asked quietly, reaching out to both of them and poking their bumps. They both winced. She tutted and grabbed them both by the hand, leading them into the room next to Lau's. Once inside, she made them sit at the foot of the bed.

"Um, Miss Ran-Mao, what are you doing?" Asked Finny, averting his eyes with a deep blush as Ran-Mao bent over to root around in a small valise. She took out a tin and unscrewed the cap. The smell of ointment filled the air. She approached Finny first.

"You need to treat those bumps," she replied simply. She dipped a finger in the ointment and applied it to Finny's head. He flinched at the initial contact. He gazed at her in wide-eyed wonder, as if he were witnessing a miracle.

"T-thanks, Miss Ran-Mao. That actually feels better." He sat back looking at her, his eyes shining in silent admiration. Ran-Mao absently traced one of his red hair clips with one finger, and soon the shade of Finny's blush matched the color. Tillie gawked at them. Ran-Mao turned abruptly from him and started applying the ointment to Tillie's head. Tillie stood when she stepped back.

"Well, good night. And thanks." Tillie was about to walk out when she realized Finny was still sitting on the bed. She raised an eyebrow. "Well? Are you staying the night here, Finny?"

"...You're welcome to," said Ran-Mao, perching on the bed next to him. Finny's eyes grew as big as saucers as he jumped up.

"Uh-goodnight!" He squeaked as he practically scurried down the hallway to his room. Ran-Mao exchanged looks with her and she swore she saw the girl crack a smile before the door shut.


End file.
